… Create Awareness for People to Engage in Physical Activities
… As NCDs Kill 41 Million People Each Year
Dr. Walter Kazadi, the World Health Organization’s Country Representative, has said that the worldwide burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is increasing due to a lack of physical activity.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) claim the lives of 41 million people each year, accounting for 71% of all deaths worldwide.
More than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 die each year from an NCD, with 85 percent of these “premature” deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
Low- and middle-income nations account for 77% of all NCD mortality.
Kazadi gave this hint during the third edition of the of walk the talk: The Health for All Challenge” organized by the World Health Organization Nigeria office in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, partners and public.
According to him: ” Today, we are here to create awareness for people to engage in physical activities. To bring everybody to know about NCDs and it’s effect.
“Globally, the burden of Non Communicable Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and chronic disease are growing due to lack of physical activities.
“We do it once a year on the side to kick off World Health Assembly. Health Assembly that is starting tomorrow. We want to add our contribution to that global campaign for everyone to become active as part of our effort to beat NCDs.
“This is what we should be doing everyday for at least half an hour if we are to beat NCD”, he said.
It is worthy of note that, the Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors.
The main types of NCD are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.
NCDs disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries where more than three quarters of global NCD deaths – 31.4 million – occur.
Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to NCDs.
Tensions are mounting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as some residents of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have barricaded the FCT’s main entrance gate, preventing FCTA workers from entering the secretariat premises.
Residents protesting the administration’s decision to postpone the swearing-in of the newly elected council chairmen and councillors said that the administration is attempting to deprive them of their mandates by using a kangaroo judgment to extend the tenure of the departing chairmen by one year.
The protesters who were visibly seen chanting ‘FCT Minister you must swear in’ carried placards with inscriptions, ‘You cannot access your office if you do not handover,’ ‘Please release our victory’ ‘Give us our AMAC mandate today’ ‘You took an oath before, you cannot take another one again,’ amongst other inscriptions.
Hon. Shekonlumi Yakubu Adamu, one of the FCT youth leaders who led the protesters to the FCT minister’s gate explained that as indigenes of FCT, everyone knew that an election was conducted in February this year and the PDP won three area councils, while the APC won the rest councils.
“The chairmen were supposed to be sworn in today, but to our surprise, we woke up on the eve of yesterday, to get a press release from the Minister that the swearing-in will not hold today again. We do not know the reason behind that.
“The only reason was that there was a court order restraining the minister from swearing the new chairmen because of tenure elongation.
“So, we want to know the reason why the swearing cannot take place today because the election has been conducted and won under the 2010 electoral acts. The election that brought in the outgoing chairman was the 2010 electoral Act and even the oncoming chairmen were also the 2010 electoral Act.
“So why will they now come at the eve of the swearing-in and tell us that it will no longer hold because of tenure elongation. We are saying no to that and we are insisting that the swearing-in must take place today. We are not leaving this place until the needful is done, because we do not want any breakdown of law and order,” he said.
He said that they are peace-loving people and anything that happens in the FCT today affects them that is why they are pleading with the minister that whatever kangaroo arrangement that they have for this chairman not to be sworn in, please it should be reverted and look the way of peace.
“That judgment to suspend the swearing-in is faulty and fraudulent. We need a clearer explanation of why the judge went ahead with the judgment without taking into consideration all the parties involved,” he said.
Also, Mr. Joshua Yohanna, a PDP stakeholder described it as worrisome that the FCT High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Ibrahim Mohammed would allow itself to be used to a point where it can give a judgment that the judge knows or ought to know is illegal as no law can be made retroactive.
“We are cautioning the outgoing Chairmen and Councilors whose tenure under the 2010 Electoral Act upon which they were sworn in will effectively come to an end by the effusion of time on Friday, May 20, 2022, to steer clear of the respective Area Council offices from that date, they want peace to reign,” he said.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has informed indigenous Abuja residents on Friday that the planned removal of shop attachments in Karu village, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), will have no impact on them.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah made this known at a meeting with the leadership of the Karu Gbagyi Development Association in Abuja,
According to Attah, the purpose of the proposed demolition was to move certain shop attachments and other illegal structures away from the roadside and beneath Electric High Tension.
The minister’s aide remarked that the FCT Administration was a partner with indigenous people and communities, and administration was grateful with the cooperation and support of the indigenous community.
According to him: ” We are grateful that all indigenous communities have given us enough cooperation to build this city And we must be internally grateful.
” And we are not mindful of the fact that we should treat the indigenes very specially not because other Nigerians are not special but because of the fact that we met them at the point of exist from Lagos to Abuja that give them very special privileged among the leagues of other ethnic nationalities and communities within the FCT.
” What we have discussed over the issue and further engagement to go and check will be carried out. I want to assure the Chief that we will not go for the operation until we have concluded All engagements.
” Indigenous houses will not be affected you can go to sleep with that. What we want to do is to shift the shops attachment and others a little back,” Attah said.
He also solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure that the operation is carried out successful.
Meanwhile, Chief. Yunana Bawa, Sarkin Yaki(Bhazhe) Karu Abuja, commended the FCTA for initiating the idea to sanitise the area of illegal shops and attachments.
” We are very happy the way you have accepted and cooperate with us that we have some basic place that must go and there are other ancestors place that we will look at it all together.
” So that our own side will not be hurt and nobody will be hurt. So I want to say well done for the exercise. We have been hearing about flood and if not with the help of the FCTA human being sometimes we are very stubborn.
” What the administration will do will help us and saves our lives because some people will go and built by the Rivers side and block the water side.
” And when rain falls it will be a disaster. So I want to also commend the government for initiating the demolition so that people will be put in their toes to avoid infractions.”
Also, the Chairman, Gbagyi Development Association Abuja, Mr Dangana Jimiko, said the the recent removal of attachments and illegal at Karu market “was a blessing to us because we have been battling with those structures for more than three years.”
” As you know the market people need force and the sanity of that place now has really help us.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) bulldozed over 30 structures built on flood plains at Trademore Estate along airport road on Thursday in Abuja.
This, according to the administration is an effort to prevent additional loss of life and property.
The FCT Ministerial Taskforce Team, which is led by Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to the FCT Minister said over 100 houses have been marked for demolition.
During the demolition exercise, Attah made this known while fielding questions from newsmen.
According to him, “This is ongoing removal of illegal structures on the flood plain at the Trademore Estate along airport road. This estate has been a theatre of flooding very intensive flooding here and we have been engaging them for years and they have come to terms that this area is very dangerous to their lives and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, directed the removal of all illegal structures on the flood plain. And that is what the machine behind me is doing.
“There has been excessesive development on the flood plain in Trademore Estate of some persons and these is very worrisome. All the houses that are going down were marked and some have been marked as long as three years ago, some were marked at foundation level, window level, roofing level. The final marking was about 4 days ago. And we gave them 48 hours and even gave them additional 24 hours”.
“For now 30 houses are going but over 100 were marked but we are still engaging critical stakeholders around there. After removing the first 30 houses, we will engage with them, we look at how we can use land solution act to find solution.
“Like what some of them are saying that the Developer of Trademore Estate should be charge to court , they have the locus standing to take him to court.
“We are very keen in getting the structures out so that water can pass and lives are saved in the city” .
He also reiterated that the administration won’t compensate anyone because there was no building plan, no approval, no allocation on the flood plain.
“We are not going to give any compensation because there was no building approval”, he noted.
One of the residents, Sadat Bankole, who has been leaving in that area for over 10 years, said if the demolition will save and prevent further loss of lives, then she is in support.
Her words:”What has been happening here is not palatable . Why is flooding constant in this area in the last few years. My view is that if people’s lives are involved then demolition should take place so that the place would be free from flooding.
“My first experience of flooding here was about 7 years ago and then it stopped but in the last 3 years there has been constant flooding everytime it rains. When the rain starts you cannot come out and you cannot go in”she said.
She, however, called for the prosecution of the Developer of Trademore Estate, for flood diversion, “Yes, there is a diversion of the flood plain, i was told where the developer build houses are the roots of the water and the water was diverted.
“The person who diverted the flow of water should be ask questions and be sanctioned. The Developer must be asked questions , why is the Developer walking free. He should be prosecuted. There was a time I had to sleep outside. The bridge was just constructed. Lives were lost and it is criminal act, he killed people. It is the innocent buyers that are suffering now”.
Also, Ike Emmanuel, a resident asked for the Developer to be taken to court for the criminal act.
He also urged the government to force the Developer to accept responsibility for loss of lives and selling water plain properties to Nigerians.
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, WHO’s 2020-2021 Results Report highlights the organization’s important accomplishments across the globe.
The report, which was released ahead of the World Health Assembly next week, highlights accomplishments such as the COVAX facility’s delivery of over 1.4 billion vaccine doses, the recommendation for widespread use of the world’s first malaria vaccine, and WHO’s response to 87 health emergencies, including COVID-19.
From 2020 to 2021, WHO led the largest-ever global response to a health crisis, working with 1600 technical and operational partners to assist mobilize the world’s largest, fastest, and most challenging immunization program. The Organization spent $1.7 billion on essential materials for the COVID-19 response.
WHO Director-General , Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said , “Even as WHO has responded to the most severe global health crisis in a century, we have continued to support our Member States in addressing many other threats to health, despite squeezed budgets and disrupted services.
“As the world continues to respond to and recover from the pandemic in the years ahead, WHO’s priority is to invest even more resources for our work in countries, where it matters most,” he continued.
“Ensuring WHO has sustainable, predictable and flexible financing is essential for fulfilling our mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.”
The ACT-A partnership delivered over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by January 2022. The global rollout of crucial health materials included nearly US$500 million worth of personal protective equipment; US$ 187 million in oxygen supplies, US$4.8 million in treatments and 110 million diagnostic tests.
However, much remains to be done for the world to get on track for WHO’s target of each country vaccinating 70% of its population by July 2022. WHO’s performance beyond pandemic.
The Results Report reveals noteworthy achievements beyond the pandemic. Mandatory policies prohibiting the use of trans fatty acids (a hazardous food compound linked to cardiovascular disease), are in effect for 3.2 billion people in 58 countries.
Among these countries, 40 have best practice policies, including Brazil, Peru, Singapore, Turkey and the United Kingdom. WHO’s REPLACE initiative aims for a world free of trans-fats by the end of 2023.
Thanks to implementation of measures mandated by WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, tobacco use is decreasing in 150 countries, saving lives and livelihoods.
Due to efforts to scale up life-saving interventions guided by WHO guidelines, 15 countries have achieved elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis.
And WHO’s recommendation of widespread use of the world’s first malaria vaccine (RTS,S) has been delivered to over 1 million children. It is expected to save 40 000 to 80 000 lives a year, when used with other malaria control interventions.
A voice for health equity The report demonstrates WHO’s crucial role as the world’s global health guardian, speaking up for health equity in a world of widening inequalities.
The grave costs of the pandemic were felt everywhere. The report portrays a world which is clearly further off track to reach crucial global health goals. Due to myriad disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have fallen behind on WHO’s “Triple Billion targets” that provide critical pathways to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Progress on Universal health coverage and healthier populations are at about one quarter or less the pace needed to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and no country was fully prepared for a pandemic of such scale.
COVID-19 also caused huge disruptions to health services: 117 of 127 countries surveyed reported disruption to at least one essential health service because of COVID, whilst the average disruption across those countries was a staggering 45%. Going forward, fulfilling the triple billion targets will be WHO’s overriding goal, as a measurable means of reducing health equity gaps.
Key role of sustainable financing The Results Report details WHO’s efforts towards transparency and accountability, providing details of expenditure. The WHO Programme Budget for 2020-2021 was $5 840.4 million. In fact, financing reached US $7 916 million, due to COVID-19 emergency operations. The surplus was thanks to the generosity of donors, including 12 Member States which contributed approximately 71% of the total financing.
Nonetheless, the largest share of WHO financing is earmarked by donors through specified voluntary contributions. Flexible funds constituted only 20% of total financing in 2020-2021.
If WHO is to play its full role in achieving the SDGs, delivering on universal health coverage, reducing the burden of ill health and protecting 1 billion more people from health emergencies, the share of regular, stable, predictable financing must increase.
The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, has encouraged state governments across the country to release their grasp on the ideal functioning of local governments, which has been muscled and squeezed to near oblivion.
During the current study visit of the council by participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, Jos’ senior executive course 44, 2022, the Chairman laid the charge at the Council Secretariat in Bwari, Abuja, on Tuesday.
“The importance of local government in the roots and fabrics of excellent and people-oriented governance cannot be overstated,” Gabaya says. ‘The People’ is the government that is closest to the people.
Aside this, local government councils perform a number of unique and indispensable functions, such as: providing services and developement activities at the grassroots in response to local wishes and initiatives; facilitate the exercise of democratic self-government close to the grassroots; mobilize the enormous human and material resources at the grassroots for national developement; as well as serving as a two-way channel of communication between the grassroots and government at the State and Federal level.
“The present practice whereby local governments councils are muscled and squeezed into a near state of oblivion by States Governments all over the country constite serious hindrances and impediments to the attainment of true democracy and good governance in Nigeria. Infact, it is a heinous crime against democratic and self-government.
“The voice and the work of this great Institute commands great respect, regards and attention among scholars, policy makers, technocrats, administrators, politicians and people in leadership positions across the nation and beyond. I am therefore very excited and hopeful that your study and report at the end of this course and tour will add more weight to the cry and quest for true autonomy for local governments in the country” , he added.
The Director General of NIPSS, Prof. Ochoche then lead a delegation of the participants to the palaces of HRH, Alhaji Awal Musa Jakuro, Sarakin Bwari and HRH, Danlamin Yaro, the Etsu of Bwari respectively, where the participants asked questions about the role of traditional rulers in administring their subjects, with the view in mind that the have no constitutional role, and how they get their funding.
The traditional rulers responded that the solve the security issues and conflicts between their subjects and asked to be given control over land too.
While speaking on the issue of funding a staff in the Area Councils Service Secretariat, FCT Administration takes care of salaries and welfare of the 17 graded chiefs in the six Area Councils, while the Area Councils take care of the district heads and village chiefs, via statutory allocation from Federal Government, 10 percent from FCT Internally Generated Revenue and quarterly funds Department of Outdoor Advertisement and synerge (DOAS).
The Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Social Development Secretariat (SDS) has raised worry about the recent influx of beggars into the territory.
The Secretariat described the situation as “overwhelming,” blaming it on the never-ending insecurity in numerous northern regions.
Sani Amar, the Acting Director of the Secretariat’s Social Welfare Department, said this on Tuesday during a visit by participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies’ senior executive course 44, 2022, to the FCT Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre, Bwari.
Amar also frowned at the United Nation’s human rights act which prohibits the detention of arrested persons beyond three days, noting that such provisions has also served as catalyst for the swelling number of beggars in the city.
The Director, however, explained that the secretariat has been struggling to keep the streets of Abuja free of beggars and destitues lately, but noticed that its efforts has not yielded the desired result.
He expressed concerns that before now, its officials usually arrest between 20-25 beggars during their routine sanitation exercise. The situation he added, has changed drastically as officials of the Secretariat now arrest over 100 beggars and destitutes in one single operation.
While calling for the need for government and the council of states to act fast by pushing for a legislation that will criminalize begging, he added that if punitive actions are meted at those who hide under the cover of begging to defraud innocent Nigerians, the menace will stop.
He, therefore, called on neighboring states of the FCT, particularly those at its northern borders to put in place policies that will discourage the brewing of street begging as the FCT ends up being at the receiving end of the consequences of the menace.
According to him: “What we notice, the recent influx of beggars in the city is so overwhelming. In a day before, when we go round, we apprehend about 20 people, but now in one spot we arrest 100 plus”
“And our major problem is the United Nations human right act that says you can’t detain human being beyond three days and then couple with the fact that their feeding is cost, so this people have made it just like a business.
“The insurgency, banditry, in the North generally is too much. The beggars now are not people with disability. Majority of them are able bodied, with their women and children. I think there is need for government to see if the council of states can do something about this influx, so that states responsible can provide succour for the beggars”
“So what we are trying we are trying to do now is to advise the authorities if they can explore any law/act that will at least make it deterrent to anybody because so many of them were apprehended with huge amount of money.
” Some with 120,000 naira, 200,000 nairaand they are yet begging”.
The Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has shut Jikwoyi phase II intersection, causing a major traffic jam on the already congested road.
After the junction was sealed on Tuesday, Comrade Ikharo Attah, the Taskforce’s commander and the FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, told reporters that the decision was made to facilitate free flow of traffic on the axis.
According to the Minister’s orders, Attah visited the Karu-Jikwoyi route with a group of stakeholders about two weeks ago in order to relieve traffic congestion caused by unorthodox activities.
He explained that FCT Administration was keen on ending the chaotic situation on the road, by removing all the illegal structures built on the road shoulders on Karu-Jikwoyi road, especially the Jikwoyi phase II junction which motorists have converted to a bus stop that build up logjam.
According to Attah: “Sealing of the junction and planned pulling down of the illegal structures was meant to ease movement of vehicles and the residents that ply the route.
“Sealing of the Jikwoyi phase II today, is one of the measures that we have taken to ease free flow of traffic on the axis.
“We have identified the causes of the traffic grilock on Karu-Jikwoyi road, we will ensure that all the illegal structures built on the road shoulders are pulled down.
“The exercise is not meant to infringe pain on the people, is rather going to address the logjam that people have been experiencing and complaining, strategic stakeholders are fully in support of the FCT Administration stance”
Attah said all the vehicles that ply the road or would be plying the road will go to the Celestial Church junction to turn, saying the area was better for U-turn.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation destroyed a micro market on land belonging to the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Area 11 near the FCT Administration Secretariat, causing noticeable agitation among vendors.
Traders, mostly food vendors, told reporters on Monday that the taskforce team had given them three months to leave the area, but that they were still waiting for the administration to supply them with another spot.
A merchant, Rafat Mohammed, expressed concern about finding a location to start her business.
“This is worrying, where will I go and start? Government suppose to provide an alternative place for us before the demolition” she said.
One of the traders and leader, Malam Ibrahim Lawal who was expressing his anger over the incident, admitted that the FCT Administration gave them a notice of three months but it was not yet time.
Lawal said: “I feel very bad because we were given three months but is not up to the three months, We were following up the issue till late last week, the people that came told us that they were sent by the minister, others said the minister is not aware of the demolition, how comes? The minister promised us land, we have not seen it” he said.
Fielding questions from journalists after the exercise, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Comrade Ikharo Attah explained that the area which is near the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has constituted a nuisance in the area.
He said pulling down of the illegal structures will bring about sanity in the area that has been converted to mini market which is against the master plan.
“This place is constituting nuisances in Area 11, it started as a small restaurant gradually it metamorphose into a market, now it has become a serious challenge.
“The activities on this single plot of land have become a serious issue, the minister of FCT malam Mohammad Bello has directed that we should clear the place, such illegality will not stand. We gave them warning before coming”
On what the place will be used for, after the cleaning, Attah said the land belongs to National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), the council will decide on what to be done in the plot.
One of the customers who was at the scene, Elder Charles Olili said the place was the only nearby restaurant that its food is affordable, but he explained that government has powers to decide what is good for the people, “It is a legal plot of land but has been turned into an illegal market” he said.
The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) on Saturday disowned Prince Joseph Kpokpogiri, a former boyfriend of popular Nollywood star Tonto Dikeh, after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished his multi-million naira mansion in Abuja.
Officials of FHA, including its Managing Director, Gbenga Ashafa, who visited the deadly building site three days ago with some top FCTA management team, admitted that the parcel of land originally belonged to FHA, but denied that a legal building design was approved before the mansion was completed.
FHA, however, affirmed that notices to stop work were served at different stages and time of the work, but Kpokpogiri refused to comply.
The Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA) Engr. Shehu Hadi who was also in the team that visited the site, said that the road alignment had been done long ago and FHA was duly notified.
Hadi noted that the road alignment which the demolished building obstructs, was designed to serve as an important bypass to Abuja-Keffi axis.
He added that any plan to realign the road because of the building would be difficult and not fair judgement to those that it would affect, considering that the demolished building was not in existence earlier when the plan started.
Also speaking, the Director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima said the Multi-billion Naira Mansion, located in the highbrow District of Guzape, Abuja, was an unapproved, and can’t be allowed to over ride public interest.
Galadima noted that the Mansion sitting on a rock in the fast developing district, is an obstruction to a major road network, connecting the popular Apo bridge to many parts of the city.
According to him, FHA was duly allocated the Area in the district to carry out its Mass Housing programme.
He however, clarified that when the road network of the district was officially realigned, FHA was promptly notified that some plots of lands within its area have been affected.
Galadima added, that FHA was ordered not to allow any further development on the affected plots , as replacement plots will be given to them.
He also denied lack of inter-agency collaboration between FCTA and FHA, stating that all necessary communications were properly documented.
According to him: ” There is adequate inter-agency Corporation, the Federal Housing Authority ( FHA) approached the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for allocation, and they were given global approval and were asked to make sure that whatever they do aligns with the approval
” The plot in question was part of what was in the allocation, but because of the importance of the road, we wrote to FHA, notifying it that a number of your plots have been affected the realignment of the road, and that we are going to give it replacement plots.
We told them that no development should be allowed on the plots, and this was around 2019, we came for site visit and have given them notice. We even marked the building for demolition, but the owner cleaned it off”, Galadima said.
Kpokpogiri, the estranged lover of Popular Nollywood star, Tonto Dikeh has however claimed that the decision to pull down his mansion worth over N700m was an act of oppression.
Kpokpogiri alleged that his house was demolished because he refused to sell it to some ” powerful ” but unnamed individuals who had begged him to sell the property to them.
He assured that he would fight fervently to get justice for the demolished building.
